Which RAM for Asus Gryphon Z87?

[paouy]

I will use the computer mainly for photo and video editing... I was thinking of 2x8GB but I'm not sure which one to choose...

Some options: Corsair Vengeance, Vengeance Pro or Dominator Platinium? Prices are similar :S

Kingstone HyperX blu?

Gskill Ripjaws?

What's your advice? Thank you very much!

 

[ur6beersaway]

Gskill is best~ budget?

 

[JackNaylorPE]

I prefer the Mushkin Redlines (US designed and manufactured) ,.... they finished in top spot in this review....your apps are some of the few where memory speed and low CAS really matter.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/memory-scaling-gaming-haswell-richland,3593-17.html

1866 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226382

1866 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233539
2133 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233541

Tough time to buy memory w/ recent factory troubles, many outta stick and prices rising. Failing to find the Mushies, id get the Corsair Vengeance Pro or the Kingston HyperX

Here's a comparison of current offerings

Cosair Vengeance Pro
9-9-9-24.........9/1600 x 1000 = 5.63 (1.50)
9-10-9-27........9/1866 x 1000 = 4.82 (1.50)
11-11-11-27.....11/2133 x 1000 = 5.16 (1.50)
10-12-12-31.....10/2400 x 1000 = 4.16 (1.65)

Corsair Dominator Platinuim
9-9-9-24.........9/1600 x 1000 = 5.63 (1.50)
9-10-9-27........9/1866 x 1000 = 4.82 (1.50)
9-11-11-31.......9/2133 x 1000 = 4.21 (1.65)
10-12-12-31.....10/2400 x 1000 = 4.16 (1.65)

Mushkin Redline
8-8-8-24.........8/1600 x 1000 = 5.00 (1.50)
9-9-9-27.........9/1866 x 1000 = 4.82 (1.50)
9-11-11-28 ..... 9/2133 x 1000 = 4.21 (1.65)

I was planning on the CAS 9 2133's from Mushkin in next personal build...... 4.21ns was second fastest and they were low profile.

 

[ur6beersaway]

Try to stay away from 1.65 volt.

And I Quote ASUS~ According to intel CPU spec, DIMM voltage below 1.65v IS recommended to protect the CPU. Haswell z87 asus boards.

 

[Tradesman1]

Help to know how much you're looking for - for video and photo editing to any real degree would suggest 16GB - also would help to know what CPU, but for what it's worth would suggest 1866 for a non K CPU, 2x8GB GSkill Snipers

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231627

if a K model might go up to 2133, in same (2x8GB)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231661

With a little more info (CPU and how much DRAM you are thinking can maybe suggest better, budget might help also, because the Tridents run great on this mobo, have put them in two of these (and for info you're not limited to 1866 like the mobo shows (they do the same with their Sabertooths, haven't figured why)

 

[paouy]

My budget for the memories is 150-200 USD... The CPU will be a non K i5 but in the future I'm planning to buy an i7 k series and use the same memories...

 

[ur6beersaway]

Then you want (as suggested by tradesman 1) these~http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231627

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Despite popular myth that has been hanging around since SB, Intel is just fine with 1.65 volts and so is Asus (confirmed myself). Upping the voltage is what generally happens when overclocking or "performing beyond standard specifications". While generally using 1.5 volt for the standard JDEC profiles, we often see higher voltages for the XMP profiles.

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/gaming/gaming-computers/intel-extreme-memory-profile-xmp.html

Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (Intel® XMP) allows you to overclock compatible DDR3 memory to perform beyond standard specifications. It’s designed to enhance the gaming features built into Intel® technology–based PCs. If you like to overclock and squeeze as much performance from your PC as possible, then memory based on Intel XMP gives you that extra edge you need to dominate—without breaking a sweat.

Predefined and tested Intel XMP profiles can be loaded via BIOS or a specific tuning application through a computer’s operating system. Often the easiest way to load Intel XMP profiles is using a tuning utility, which may be available depending on the particular board manufacturer. To learn whether a tuning utility is available on your system, you should contact the board manufacturer.

Most listed compatible i5 / i7 RAM is 1.65 .... at least according to Intel's compatibility lists

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/gaming/gaming-computers/core-i5-processor-memory-datasheet.html
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/gaming/gaming-computers/core-i7-memory-suppliers-datasheet.html

It should also be noted that HW supports up to DDR3-3000 and there are few modules available at 1.5 volts from 2133 and none from 2400 on up. On newegg:

DDR3-3000 - 4 models available, all 1.65 volt
DDR3-2933 - 8 models available, all 1.65 volt
DDR3-2933 - 19 models available, all 1.65 volt
DDR3-2666 - 18 models available, all 1.65 volt
DDR3-2600 - 6 models available, all 1.65 volt
DDR3-2400 - 61 models available, all 1.65 volt
DDR3-2133 - 113 models available, about 80% of which are 1.6 volt or greater

So if IB supports up to 2133, then what's the market for 2400 and up (126 models) if ya can't use 1.65 volts on Haswell ?

Still, that doesn't mean lower voltages doesn't have an advantage.....lower voltage leaves from if ya need to boost voltage when adding more than 2 modules. Lower voltage also means a modest reduction in heat generation.

 

[Tradesman1]

1.65 is fine with higher freq DRAM because the CPU will normally have an OC on it and it's voltages will be higher (note the (OC) next to freqs listed in a mobos specs, which indicates an OC of the CPU may be required) generally 1.65 is suggested for 2133 and up sticks...1.65 with lower freq sticks can indicate weak IC's (i.e. why would they need 1.65 when by far the majority run at 1.5? and there are more and more coming in at LV (1.25 and 1.35)...And just as a note, contrary to the above, IB is quite fine with higher freqs than listed above, many i5 3570's can handle 2400 (up to 32GB, i.e. my 3570K runs that) and it's not uncommon to see 3770Ks run 2666 and even 2800)

 

[JackNaylorPE]

My bad, I was remembering the original plan for IB which included "official" support only to 2133; it was later increased to 2800 once the manufacturers stepped up and the technology proved out.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Intel-Ivy-Bridge-to-Feature-DDR3-2133MHz-and-BCLK-Overclocking-214180.shtml

But not all Motherboard manufacturers "officially" support memory that high across the board. Some officially support the OC speeds, and other stick strictly with the JDEC profiles (non-OC) and maybe a lower OC or 2.

The point I'm addressing however is that this same 1.65 volt warning was parlayed about for Ivy Bridge and it was parlayed about for Sandy Bridge and it's no more true now than it was when SB came out. On initial release of IB, "by far the majority" did NOT in fact run at 1.5. Most modules were in fact 1.65 . Not true today perhaps but it was undoubtedly true when IB was released.

Intel's approved i7 Compatibilty List (Summer 2012) included:

34 1.65 volt modules
07 1.60 volt modules
19 1.50 volt modules
01 1.25 volt modules

So at the time that IB was where Haswell is today, the majority (56%) of the modules available on Intel's compatibility list were in fact 1.65 volt. I find it hard to accept that 56% of the modules available were deficient in any way, it was simply the standard based upon production expectations at the time. Yes, there was lower voltage models available and that lower voltage has certain advantages, conceptually at least, but that doesn't correlate into there being anything wrong with or scary about 1.65. This is evidenced by the MoBo BIOS itself which offers no warning whatsoever until you go above 1.65.

I used 1.35 volt memory from Corsair in IB builds when they were the only ones on newegg ..... just the one model (CML8GX3M2A1600C9W)....now newegg has 10 DDR3-1600 models at 1.35v or lower. Again, as time goes on technology marches on.

As lines mature, along with voltage drops, we also see timings drop .... same as we are seeing now and same as it's always been. Just a few months ago, I was buying mostly CAS 9 DDR3-1600 .... now the manufacturer doesn't have that on the market, it's simply gone .... 1600 has dropped to CAS 8 and 1866 is at CAS 9....Does that make the older DDR3-1600 CAS 9 deficient or weak in any way ? No, it's simply that voltages as well as timings drop over time as lines improve.

And, as always, the higher performance you want.....whether it be CPU, GPU or memory, the more voltage you gonna need to get it. The key in thisd instance is that fast memory has an impact on photo editing and video editing and if you want more speed and lower timings, there's no reason, at least according to both Intel and the Mobo manufacturers who have certified 1.65 volt memory for their products, to shy away from 1.65 volts. No doubt in time we'll see the % of low voltage modules at 2133 increase to > 20% and in time we'll see some 2400 drop below 1.65 too.

 

[ur6beersaway]

Thank you Jack, I needed clarification that makes sense to me. I tend to take note of any manufactures' warnings as fact, when in reality it is a blanket "cover our ass" & let's wait & see what our BETA testers (customers) results are.

 

[Tradesman1]

Actually the bit with DRAM voltage goes back to the early 1156, and 1366 DDR3 mobos, in particular with the 1366 where it was recommended to keep the QPIVTT (MC (memory controller)) voltage to within 0.5 of the DRAM voltage, which still isn't a bad idea, though many builders now look at the DRAM to MC differential to be 0.6 or so. At stock the SB and IB CPUs normally the MC voltage (be it VCCIO (standard for SB) or CPUVTT (standard for IB) at 1.00 or less (in IB Asus combined the MC voltage into the System Agent Voltage or VCCSA), generally the stock VCCSA on IB across the board was right around 0.925.

As far as the early 'support' for Sandy Bridge, Intel is a very standards centric company and long had the marketing plan out for SB, prior to it's relaease in Jan 2011, JEDEC didn't release 'official' standards for 1866/2133 till the end of 2010, long after sticks were already out (and in fact the existing sticks drove the standards, originally DDR3 wasn't expected to go beyond 1600 sticks, and there still are no official JEDEC standards for the higher end DRAM on the market today, which will again leave JEDEC behind the curve as their original DDR4 specs were only to 2400, and DRAM manufacturers are already looking beyond DDR4 3200.

Another thought against the 1.65 in lower end 1600 and 1866 sticks is, again as mentioned above, why are so few at 1.65, of the offerings at the Egg for 1600 DRAM, the 1.6 and up sticks only compose appr 13% of what is offered, and the percentage has steadily been shrinking, same is true of higher performance 1600/CL8 sets only about 13% require more than 1.5...another is for those that want to try and OC their DRAM that normally takes additional voltage to both DRAM and the MC, and if you are already basically maxed out at 1.65, then what.....and more, additional higher voltage means more heat....so, though the option is there to go 1.65, why?